dowell



'2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

A. E. DOWELL.

PRINTING PRESS No. 562,713. Patented June 23, 1896.

M DREW a GRAHAM. PHQYO-UYHO WASMNGIM DC 2 Sheets-Sheet 2D A. E. DOWELL.

PRINTING PRESS. I No. 562,713. Patented 111 2a, 1896. a) \Q Q: $4 3 Q k \T- I E U h masses: Mei m.

ANDRSW B GRAHAM PHOYOIJWQWASHNGTORD UNITED STATES- PATENT Prion.

ARTHUR E. DOlVELL, OF \VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

PRINTING-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 562,713, dated June 23, 1896.

Application filed April 9, 1895- Serial No. 545,081. (No model.)

To all whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR E. DowELL, of lVashington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing-Presses; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

This invention is an improvement in webprinting machines of the type shown in my application for printing-press filed April 29, 1895, Serial No. M1531, and its object is to combine the advantages of the reciprocatingbed and the locomotive-cylinder types of webprinting presses in a single machine by so constructing it that the beds and cylinders therein both reciprocate simultaneously in opposite directions, thereby shortening the travels of both bed and cylinder and enabling the web to be kept moving continuously throughout the entire printing mechanism, both while the cylinders are in and out of printing contact with the type on the beds, and when in and out of impression.

My invention is applicable to single or perfecting presses.

lVhile for the sake of simplicityl have illustrated the cylinders as printing on alternate strokes only, I do not consider my invention limited to a reciprocating-bed locomotive-cylinder web-press containing a throw-off mech anism.

Various presses embodying my invention have been designed by me, and the simplest and best form of perfecting-press now known to me, embodying my invention, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described as follows, viz:

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a web-perfecting press embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal vertical section thereof. Figs. 3 and i are detail views illustrating the cylinder throw-off and locking devices.

The essential features of such press are, first, the oppositely-reciprocating beds and cylinders; second, the simple continuous, but variable-speed, web-feeding mechanism, and, third, the cylinder throw-01f and locking mechanisms.

Referring to the drawings, A A designate the side frames of the press.

13 designates a reciprocating-bed frame having two type-form-carrying surfaces or beds 0 c, said frame being suitably supported and guided on and between the side frames A A in any manner preferred by the pressbuild er. The frame is provided with depending brackets b, which are connected by pitmen-rods D to wrist-pins on geared crank-wheels E on a shaft 6, journaled on the main frame, gears E being driven by pinions F on counter-shaft f, journaled on the frame, as shown. By this means a reciprocating motion is imparted to both beds simultaneously. The beds are provided with the usual bearers and cylinderracks, as indicated in the drawings.

G G designate the opposite side castings of the cylinder-carriage, slidably mounted on ways on the outer sides of the side frames A A in any suitable manner. Each casting is connected by pitmen H to crank-wheels I on a shaft '6, journ'aled on the main frame. On shaft 1' are gear-wheels t", of same size as crank-gears E and meshing therewith, so that the shafts e 1 rotate together in opposite directions, crank-wheels I being set out from the side of the machine sufficiently to insure clearance between the pitmen D and H.

At the opposite ends of the carriage G are vertically-movable journal-boxes g, in which are mounted circular bearings J for the shafts of the impression-cylinders C e", which are eccentrically mounted in the bearings, as shown. The cylinders are constructed as usual and provided with gears meshing with the bed-racks, as customary in bed and cylinder presses.

The bearings J are provided with dependingarmsj, carryingfriction-rollersj, adapted to contact with stationary cam-blocks K, which are secured in position to alternately contact roller j and rock the bearing forward and back at the opposite ends of the stroke of the cylinder, thereby raising or lowering the cylinder and throwing it off and on impression alternately, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4.

L Z are toothed dogs pivoted on opposite sides of each bearing, and respectively adapted to engage notches L Z in the periphery thereof, as shown, so as to hold the bearing in the position to which it has been shifted, and thereby lock the cylinders in their thrownoff and thrown-on positions.

The dogs L Z may be pivoted on lateral extensions g of the boxes 9, or plates secured to the boxes, so that their pivots will always remain a'constant distance from the center of the bearings, While the boxes, bearings, dogs, 850., will be free to rise with the cylinder without injury if any unwonted obstacle should get in its path.

The boxes are held down to give the proper impression pressure to the cylinders by springs M, interposed between tops of boxes and plates m, adjustable by tap-bolts m.

It will be understood that each cylinder is provided with the throw-off and locking devices.

In order that the throw 0E and on devices can operate, it is necessary that the locks be disengaged prior to the operation of such devices. This is done by providing the dogs with depending arms L Z provided with friction-rollers L, the parts being so arranged that the dog in engagement with the bearing will be thrown out of engagement therewith by contact of its roller with camK just prior to the engagement of the roller of arm j therewith, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4. Fig. 3 shows cylinder 0' at the end of its inward stroke just thrownoff impression and ready to begin its outward stroke. Fig. 4 shows the cylinder 0 at the end of its outward stroke just thrown-on impression and ready to begin its inward printing stroke. The bed, it will be remembered, moves oppositely to the cylinder. The dogs are thrown into engagement by springs L as shown.

At the inner side of each cylinder, and traveling therewith, is a system of inking-rollers N, which take their supply of ink from stationary fountains N, mounted 011 the main frames A A at the center of the press, intermediate the cylinders and above the beds, as shown. Thus the forms are freshly inked after each impression.

The web to is led in from a web-roll XV at one end of the press between feed-rolls O, thence forward under a roller 0 just below the two fountains, thence up between the inkfountains over a roller 0, then over a roller g at the inner side of cylinder 0' down under the cylinder over a roller g at the outer side thereof, under a roller 0 over a register-adjusting roller 0 back to and over roller g at the inner side of cylinder 0 down under said cylinder, up over a roller g at the outer side thereof, to and under a roller 0 and thence to the delivery-rolls O. The rollers g g g g" are mounted on the carriage G and reciprocate with the cylinders. The others are mounted on the main frame. By thus threading the web it is reversed, so that it will be perfected in passing through the press.

As shown, the cylinders only print when the respective bed is moving in the direction of the nearest superimposed portion of the web.

The cylinder C therefore only prints when the beds move toward the delivery-rolls, and cylinder 0 when the beds move away from the delivery-rolls. The web has to be fed therefore continuously, but at an irregular speed, during the operation of the press, this speed depending upon the rapidity of movement of the bed, and the amount of web to be fed during the stroke of the bed depending upon the length of such stroke. For simplicity, assumin g that each bed travels half the length of the printed sheet during its printing stroke, then the delivery-rolls must be so driven that half the length of a sheet is pulled forward in unison with the movement of the printing-bed during each printing operation, and the margin between sheets can be readily provided for by the delivery in the slight intervals between the operations of the coacting beds and cylinders. Of course while the beds travel half the length of a sheet in one direction, the cylinders travel an equal, or preferably slightly greater, distance in the opposite direction. Thus an impression is taken from one whole form on the bed at each impression operation. Thus half of the printed sheet is fed forward between the beds and cylinders during the printing coaction of one bed and cylinder and the other half of the printed sheet is fed forward between the beds and cylinders or out of the press during the printing operation of the other bed and cylinder and while the first bed and cylinder are traveling thrown off back to starting position. Thus the printing movement of bed 0 assists in feeding forward a half-sheet of the web, and the subsequent printing movement of bed 0 assists in feeding forward the balance of the said sheet. The beds and cylinders thus constitute intermediate web-feeding devices while printing, and assist in the forwarding of the web through the press.

The feed mechanism may be of any desired kind which will accomplish the proper feeding of the Web. A simple form is elliptical gearing, and, as shown, an elliptic gear P on shaft 6, meshing with a similar elliptic gear P on a stubshaft p, j ournaled on the frame, and a gear 19 on shaft 19, meshing with a gear 19 on the shaft of one of the feedrolls 0, drives the feed-rolls at an irregular speed, so that their peripheries move exactly uniformly with the movements of the beds. The feed-rolls are geared together, and motion is transmitted from them through atrain of gears O to the delivery-rolls O, as shown, so that the delivery is uniform with the feed. The contour of gears P P is calculated according to the stroke of the beds and the length of sheet desired to print thereon.

Having thus described one complete printingpress embodying one form of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a web-printing press the combination with a reciprocating type-bed and an oppositely-reciprocating coacting cylinder, and

means for throwing the impression off during one stroke of the moving parts; with means for feeding a web of paper between the cylinder and bed uniformly with the movement of the bed during the printing operation, and for continuing the feed of the web while the impression is thrown off, substantially as described.

2. In a web-printing press the combination of a pair of reciprocating type-beds, a pair of oppositel y-reciprocatin g coactin g impressioncylinders, means for alternately throwing the cylinders on and off impression, and means for continuously feeding a web through the press, substantially as described.

3. In a web-printing press the combination of a pair of reciprocating beds, a pair of oppositely-reciprocating cylinders coacting with said beds, and means for throwing the cylinders alternately off and on impression so that the cylinders print alternately, with means for feeding a web of paper continuously through the press at a speed regulated by the movement of the beds during the printing operations, substantially as described.

at. In a web-printing press the combination of a pair of reciprocating beds, a pair of oppositely-rcciprocating cylinders ooacting with said beds and means for throwing the cylinders alternately off and on impression so that the cylinders print alternately, with guides for leading a web of paper successively between the beds and cylinders to be perfected, and means for feeding a web of paper continuously through the press at a speed regulated by the movements of the beds during the printing operations, substantially as described. V

5. The combination with a reciprocating bed and oppositely-reciprocating cylinder,the feed and delivery rolls, web guide-rollers for forwarding a web through the press, and elliptical gearing for actuating the web-feeding rolls, all substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. The combination of a pair of reciprocating beds arranged end to end in substantially the same plane, and mounted between the main frames, a reciprocating carriage-frame mounted upon the outside of the main frame, the cylinders mounted on said carriage and respectively adapted to coact with one of the beds; and mechanism for throwing the cylinders oif and on impression, substantially as described, with a pair of ink-fountains mounted on the main frame above the beds and between the cylinders, and inking-rollers at the inner side of each impression-cylinder adapted to receive ink from said fountains, substantially as described.

7. The combination of a pair of reciprocat ing beds arranged end to end in substantially the same plane, and mounted between the main frames, a reciprocating carriage-frame mounted upon the outside of the main frame, the cylinders mounted on said carriage and respectively adapted to coact with one of the beds; and mechanism for throwing the cylinders oif and on impression, substantially as described, with a pair of ink-fountains mounted on the main frame above the beds and between the cylinders, and inking-rollers at the inner side of each impression-cylinder adapted to receive ink from said fountains, with means for leading a web of paper first between one cylinder and bed, and then between the other cylinder and bed, and means for feeding the web through the press during and after impressions, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. The combination of a bed, a reciprocatin g cylinder eccentrioally mounted in rotatable bearings, said bearings having depending arms, cams on the frame of the machine adapted to alternately engage the arms and alternately rotate said bearings in opposite directions, with spring-actuated dogs forlocking the bearings when fully shifted in either; direction, and cams for disengaging the lock ing-dogs from the bearings prior to the engagement of the arms with the cams, substantially as described.

9. The combination of a reciprocating typebed, an oppositely-reciprocating cylinder, the rotatable notched bearings for the cylinder, the dogs pivoted on opposite sides of the bean ings and adapted to en gage and lock the bearings after the latter are shifted, and the cams for releasing the dogs from the bearin gs prior to the shifting of the latter and means for shifting said bearings, substantially as described.

10. The combination of a type-bed, a cylinder, rotatable bearings in which the cylinder is eccentrically mounted having depending arms pivoted spring-controlled locking-dogs at each side of the bearings adapted to alternately engage and lock the bearings when shifted and the cam-blocks adapted to first disengage the locking-dogs from the bearingsand then cause the proper rotation of the latter, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. r

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR E. DOWELL. Witnesses:

T. H. ALEXANDER, JAMES R. MANsFInLn. 

